4 As concerning G4012 therefore G3767 the eating G1035 of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, G1494 we know G1492 that G3754 an idol G1497 is nothing G3762 in G1722 the world, G2889 and G2532 that G3754 there is none G3762 other G2087 God G2316 but G1508 one. G1520
Hear, H8085 O Israel: H3478 The LORD H3068 our God H430 is one H259 LORD: H3068
One G1520 God G2316 and G2532 Father G3962 of all, G3956 who G3588 is above G1909 all, G3956 and G2532 through G1223 all, G3956 and G2532 in G1722 you G5213 all. G3956
And G1161 Jesus G2424 answered G611 him, G846 The G3754 first G4413 of all G3956 the commandments G1785 is, Hear, G191 O Israel; G2474 The Lord G2962 our G2257 God G2316 is G2076 one G1520 Lord: G2962
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 the King H4428 of Israel, H3478 and his redeemer H1350 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 I am the first, H7223 and I am the last; H314 and beside H1107 me there is no God. H430
Behold, ye are of nothing, H369 and your work H6467 of nought: H659 an abomination H8441 is he that chooseth H977 you.
Moreover G2532 ye see G2334 and G2532 hear, G191 that G3754 not G3756 alone G3440 at Ephesus, G2181 but G235 almost G4975 throughout all G3956 Asia, G773 this G3778 Paul G3972 hath persuaded G3982 and turned away G3179 much G2425 people, G3793 saying G3004 that G3754 they be G1526 no G3756 gods, G2316 which G3588 are made G1096 with G1223 hands: G5495
To the only G3441 wise G4680 God G2316 our G2257 Saviour, G4990 be glory G1391 and G2532 majesty, G3172 dominion G2904 and G2532 power, G1849 both G2532 now G3568 and G2532 ever. G1519 G3956 G165 Amen. G281
Now G1161 unto the King G935 eternal, G165 immortal, G862 invisible, G517 the only G3441 wise G4680 God, G2316 be honour G5092 and G2532 glory G1391 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 Amen. G281
What G5101 say I G5346 then? G3767 that G3754 the idol G1497 is G2076 any thing, G5100 or G2228 that G3754 which is offered in sacrifice to idols G1494 is G2076 any thing? G5100 But G235 I say, that G3754 the things which G3739 the Gentiles G1484 sacrifice, G2380 they sacrifice G2380 to devils, G1140 and G2532 not G3756 to God: G2316 and G1161 I would G2309 not G3756 that ye G5209 should have G1096 fellowship G2844 with devils. G1140
For G1063 if G1437 any man G5100 see G1492 thee G4571 which G3588 hast G2192 knowledge G1108 sit at meat G2621 in G1722 the idol's temple, G1493 shall G3618 not G3780 the conscience G4893 of him G846 which is G5607 weak G772 be emboldened G3618 G1519 to eat G2068 those things which are offered to idols; G1494
But G235 to us G2254 there is but one G1520 God, G2316 the Father, G3962 of G1537 whom G3739 are all things, G3956 and G2532 we G2249 in G1519 him; G846 and G2532 one G1520 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 by G1223 whom G3739 are all things, G3956 and G2532 we G2249 by G1223 him. G846 Howbeit G235 there is not G3756 in G1722 every man G3956 that knowledge: G1108 for G1161 some G5100 with conscience G4893 of the idol G1497 unto G2193 this hour G737 eat G2068 it as G5613 a thing offered unto an idol; G1494 and G2532 their G846 conscience G4893 being G5607 weak G772 is defiled. G3435
O Lord H136 GOD, H3069 thou hast begun H2490 to shew H7200 thy servant H5650 thy greatness, H1433 and thy mighty H2389 hand: H3027 for what God H410 is there in heaven H8064 or in earth, H776 that can do H6213 according to thy works, H4639 and according to thy might? H1369
And G2532 saying, G3004 Sirs, G435 why G5101 do ye G4160 these things? G5130 We G2249 also G2532 are G2070 men G444 of like passions G3663 with you, G5213 and preach G2097 unto you G5209 that ye should turn G1994 from G575 these G5023 vanities G3152 unto G1909 the living G2198 God, G2316 which G3739 made G4160 heaven, G3772 and G2532 earth, G1093 and G2532 the sea, G2281 and G2532 all things G3956 that are therein: G1722 G846
Woe H1945 unto him that saith H559 to the wood, H6086 Awake; H6974 to the dumb H1748 stone, H68 Arise, H5782 it shall teach! H3384 Behold, it is laid H8610 over with gold H2091 and silver, H3701 and there is no breath H7307 at all in the midst H7130 of it. But the LORD H3068 is in his holy H6944 temple: H1964 let all the earth H776 keep silence H2013 before H6440 him.
Every man H120 is brutish H1197 by his knowledge; H1847 every founder H6884 is confounded H3001 by the graven image: H6459 for his molten image H5262 is falsehood, H8267 and there is no breath H7307 in them. They are vanity, H1892 the work H4639 of errors: H8595 in the time H6256 of their visitation H6486 they shall perish. H6
Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 The labour H3018 of Egypt, H4714 and merchandise H5505 of Ethiopia H3568 and of the Sabeans, H5436 men H582 of stature, H4060 shall come over H5674 unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come H3212 after H310 thee; in chains H2131 they shall come over, H5674 and they shall fall down H7812 unto thee, they shall make supplication H6419 unto thee, saying, Surely God H410 is in thee; and there is none else, there is no H657 God. H430
I am the LORD, H3068 and there is none else, there is no God H430 beside H2108 me: I girded H247 thee, though thou hast not known H3045 me:
Fear H6342 ye not, neither be afraid: H7297 H7297 have not I told H8085 thee from that time, H227 and have declared H5046 it? ye are even my witnesses. H5707 Is there H3426 a God H433 beside H1107 me? yea, there is no God; H6697 I know H3045 not any. They that make H3335 a graven image H6459 are all of them vanity; H8414 and their delectable things H2530 shall not profit; H3276 and they are their own witnesses; H5707 they see H7200 not, nor know; H3045 that they may be ashamed. H954
Now therefore, O LORD H3068 our God, H430 save H3467 us from his hand, H3027 that all the kingdoms H4467 of the earth H776 may know H3045 that thou art the LORD, H3068 even thou only.
O LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 God H430 of Israel, H3478 that dwellest H3427 between the cherubims, H3742 thou art the God, H430 even thou alone, of all the kingdoms H4467 of the earth: H776 thou hast made H6213 heaven H8064 and earth. H776
Their idols H6091 are silver H3701 and gold, H2091 the work H4639 of men's H120 hands. H3027 They have mouths, H6310 but they speak H1696 not: eyes H5869 have they, but they see H7200 not: They have ears, H241 but they hear H8085 not: noses H639 have they, but they smell H7306 not: They have hands, H3027 but they handle H4184 not: feet H7272 have they, but they walk H1980 not: neither speak H1897 they through their throat. H1627 They that make H6213 them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth H982 in them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The apostle, in this chapter, answers another case proposed to him by some of the Corinthians, about eating those things that had been sacrificed to idols.
1Cr 8:1-3
The apostle comes here to the case of things that had been offered to idols, concerning which some of them sought satisfaction: a case that frequently occurred in that age of Christianity, when the church of Christ was among the heathen, and the Israel of God must live among the Canaanites. For the better understanding of it, it must be observed that it was a custom among the heathens to make feasts on their sacrifices, and not only to eat themselves, but invite their friends to partake with them. These were usually kept in the temple, where the sacrifice was offered (v. 10), and, if any thing was left when the feast ended, it was usual to carry away a portion to their friends; what remained, after all, belonged to the priests, who sometimes sold it in the markets. See ch. 10:25. Nay, feasts, as Athenaeus informs us, were always accounted, among the heathen, sacred and religious things, so that they were wont to sacrifice before all their feasts; and it was accounted a very profane thing among them, athyta esthiein, to eat at their private tables any meat whereof they had not first sacrificed on such occasions. In this circumstance of things, while Christians lived among idolaters, had many relations and friends that were such, with whom they must keep up acquaintance and maintain good neighbourhood, and therefore have occasion to eat at their tables, what should they do if any thing that had been sacrificed should be set before them? What, if they should be invited to feast with them in their temples? It seems as if some of the Corinthians had imbibed an opinion that even this might be done, because they knew an idol was nothing in the world, v. 4. The apostle seems to answer more directly to the case (ch. 10), and here to argue, upon supposition of their being right in this thought, against their abuse of their liberty to the prejudice of others; but he plainly condemns such liberty in ch. 10. The apostle introduces his discourse with some remarks about knowledge that seem to carry in them a censure of such pretences to knowledge as I have mentioned: We know, says the apostle, that we all have knowledge (v. 1); as if he had said, "You who take such liberty are not the only knowing persons; we who abstain know as much as you of the vanity of idols, and that they are nothing; but we know too that the liberty you take is very culpable, and that even lawful liberty must be used with charity and not to the prejudice of weaker brethren.' Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth, v. 1. Note,
1Cr 8:4-6
In this passage he shows the vanity of idols: As to the eating of things that have been sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world; or, there is no idol in the world; or, an idol can do nothing in the world: for the form of expression in the original is elliptical. The meaning in the general is, that heathen idols have no divinity in them; and therefore the Old Testament they are commonly called lies and vanities, or lying vanities. They are merely imaginary gods, and many of them no better than imaginary beings; they have no power to pollute the creatures of God, and thereby render them unfit to be eaten by a child or servant of God. Every creature of God is good, if it be received with thanksgiving, 1 Tim. 4:4. It is not in the power of the vanities of the heathens to change its nature.-And there is no other God but one. Heathen idols are not gods, nor to be owned and respected as gods, for there is no other God but one. Note, the unity of the Godhead is a fundamental principle in Christianity, and in all right religion. The gods of the heathens must be nothing in the world, must have no divinity in them, nothing of real godhead belonging to them; for there is no other God but one. Others may be called gods: There are that are called gods, in heaven and earth, gods many, and lords many; but they are falsely thus called. The heathens had many such, some in heaven and some on earth, celestial deities, that were of highest rank and repute among them, and terrestrial ones, men made into gods, that were to mediate for men with the former, and were deputed by them to preside over earthly affairs. These are in scripture commonly called Baalim. They had gods of higher and lower degree; nay, many in each order: gods many, and lords many; but all titular deities and mediators: so called, but not such in truth. All their divinity and mediation were imagery. For,
1Cr 8:7-13
The apostle, having granted, and indeed confirmed, the opinion of some among the Corinthians, that idols were nothing, proceeds now to show them that their inference from this assumption was not just, namely, that therefore they might go into the idol-temple, and eat of the sacrifices, and feast there with their heathen neighbours. He does not indeed here so much insist upon the unlawfulness of the thing in itself as the mischief such freedom might do to weaker Christians, persons that had not the same measure of knowledge with these pretenders. And here,